Hares: Skidmarks ,Pushup Bra – Hashers: Acronymph, Bottom Feeder, Pelagic, Phone Box, Rhryn, Jerry, Amie, Lillian. On this beautiful and cool autumn Sunday, the news of Doggie’s special hash experience didn’t scare the hashers away. A pack of 5 hashers and 3 virgins gathered at Meijiawu again. To crack your stiff bones, breathe fresh air, explore the city, overlook the lake and other places you’ve been, have fun…. and of course have a good drink, come to hash! We were ready, but the unpredictable trail didn’t bring the hares back in time, so on getting the instruction to start, the pack hit the road. Through the noisy and crowded tea houses, along a shallow creek , the trail turned to the foot of a hill on north. OK, let’s start Skidmarks’ Pushup-style running. Up on the hill, after a while of hiking on steps, we came to a flat place. With Acronymph’ guidance, we chose the uphill northeast way instead of going down to Daqing Vally to find a “FT
Run #22 – The Virgin Hare Run
Sunday 28th October – 15.00 – Meijawu – Hare is Skidmarks – Either go direct to Meijawu or meet at the Maya at 14.30 and take the next Y4 bus from Shuguang Lu to Meijawu – get off in the village and walk back on the eastern side of the road to a restaurant on a path and stairs about 200 metres back. This is the same restaurant chosen by Acro and Cigar on the last visit.
Run #21 The Coming of Age Run Rehashed
About 2.10pm Sunday October 21st, 2007, mobile rings, it’s Doggie, “Aaah Pushup, I’m about half an hour into setting the run and I seem to have my foot in what I assume is a wild boar trap”. “……….O…..K…., well I’m about to leave, so I guess we’ll just follow the trail and find you, just wait there, OK?” It took 30 minutes before I was able to steal a cab from a Chinese father and daughter combination, and I was just a little offended when my story about a friend on the mountain in a boar trap was not believed, but maybe it was a language problem after all. The cab driver ignored my suggested route, choosing to join the scenic log jam of vehicles in Beishan Lu. Now Acro’s over the top punctuality can be intimidating at times, but on this occasion came in quite handy as she and Cigar arrived at about the same time as virgin Aimie, Pelagic, Bottom Feeder and virgin Miki. So Acro, Cigar and Miki took off to find the feral Doggie and so to report back to the Lingyin arch as to the state of the nation. Your scribe appeared about this time, jumped out of a cab and approached a likely looking chap with the word Police on his cap, handed him the phone with Acro on the other end, and hence started phase 1 of the endless pointless and fruitless discussions with members of the emergency services (two earnest and helpful gentleman in non-specific uniform (NSU) notwithstanding). Soon afterwards the ground party of 4 came together, and reception permitting, was joined by increasingly strident calls from Acro as to the state of things on the mountain. BF made good progress with one NSU who escorted the straggle to the police station. Ah, but it transpired that it was the wrong police station, so the group then straggled across the bus station to the entrance of the cable car where a police car and ambulance had drawn up. Cigar then decamped from the scene of the “incident” to join and then lead the rescue party in, and arrived breathlessly to find a large milling group of Police and NSUs being entertained by an increasingly irritated bunch of laowai, and of course Aimie, trying to describe the situation and obtain some tools with which to remove the encumbrance on Doggies foot. The police refused to admit they had a tyre lever in their police car, and when asked by Aimie what they did when they got a flat tire said that they just rang up and someone came to get them; in retrospect it makes sense. I couldn’t find any tools on the ambulance either. Anyway, Aimie was repeatedly told that the man with the release tool was coming up to the mountain, and would join us there. Wild boar might fly! One NSU appeared with a hack saw and a spare blade, which I guess may have been useful to remove Doggies foot, but those blades did not look Swedish. So the various parties of laowai, NSUs and assorted others straggled off not knowing who was following whom. Aimie negotiated with a kindly lady who gave up the only tools of the household, a dodgy looking garden digger and some metal thing, but there was no time to do more, because all this took so much time. BF picked up some bricks and together with some lumps of wood the hashers easily outpaced the NSUs to find the prone Doggie with Acro and Miki. Unfortunately there was no time for a good laugh, or even to get a series of group photos around the feral Doggie, shots evidently missing from the album. Miki had had the time to examine the workings of the crude but effective trap, despite Doggie speaking to him in less than polite terms; well he is the GM. Anyway, several sets of hands, feet, bricks and odd tools all concentrated power sufficiently for the errant foot to be released. Bloody lucky though, because if the barbs had caught skin it would have made a real mess of the foot, and made the removal of the foot by the system eventually used impossible. Then either the hacksaw or a small jack would have been the solution. Then a forester looking chap appeared holding some small tool, which, knowing what we know now would have been useless. He managed to lay claim to the trap, with the digger firmly in it’s grip, and the metal thing borrowed from the kindly lady and took off down the mountain. Your scribe’s concern was the metal thing and digger, so called him back, and then went after him to retrieve said items, but he took off, dropping the trap but escaping with the metal thing. Still can’t work this out. Doggie then found that he was OK to limp down the mountain and washed out creek bed, along with his retinue of NSUs, the ice cream van attendant, some others, the now not so kindly lady and the hash to gain his 15 minutes of fame as 2 TV crews vied for his attention. Doggie’s Chinese failed him at the crucial interview moment, and Bottom Feeder stepped into the breach, embellishing the drama with tales of wild boar munching on the prone Doggie as he waited for rescue. The kindly lady was fearfully upset about her metal thing: apologies and RMB were not enough. Finally Aimie was able to explain what happened to her metal thing and with a few RMB in her pocket she left mollified. She doesn’t know it but her contribution was vital. After numerous photos in the fading light, check out the gallery, it was off to the Maya in an unofficial taxi van for a few pints and another first rate Acronymph ordering effort at the FengDu. As for the run, more comment when Doggie actually completes it. It was good so far. The press the following day described the incident, drawing on interviews with the police and Miki who they called on his mobile. They also described 3 previous incidents in the last few years where serious injuries were incurred, Doggie being lucky in the extreme. So with this in mind, it was comforting to see how much the NSUs had learned from these previous incidents not. Equally it was impressive how much time they spent examining the trap, learning it’s workings so that WHEN it happens again, they would be much better prepared, not. So HZH3 learns, look after your own.
Run #20 – The Farkawe Tribe Run
Sunday 14th October – 16.00 – Meet on the corner of Longjing Rd and xxxxx Rd (the road between Jiqingshan and Wulaofeng Tunnels). Buses Y3, 27 and K27 go there, but make sure you get off at the right spot, it’s the busiest intersection on Longjing Rd. Hares Acronymph and Pushupbra.
Ring Acronymph for multi-lingual directions 1373 2250 363
Yesterday, two Kiwis were returning to the antipodes from France after another unsuccessful Rugby World Cup campaign. One sat in the window seat, the other sat in the middle seat. Just before take-off, an Aussie got on and took the aisle seat next to the two Kiwis. After take-off, the Aussie kicked off his shoes, wiggled his toes and was settling in when the Kiwi in the window seat said, “I think we could do with a beer
Taiping Meijawu Run Rehashed
It was very nice of the Shanghai Taiping hash to invite HZH3 to their run in Meijawu. There were several communications from Taiping to ascertain the numbers from HZ who would be attending their run for catering purposes, but given the variability of HZH3 turnout mismanagement avoided commitment. The triple birthday arrangements of Caris, Cigar and Acronymph required a 6.30pm start, which placed a limiter on the amount of time available for HZH3 hashers to attend and then return to HZ in time, so a van was laid on to pick up starters at the Maya. Pelagic, looking a bit margaritaish, Yvonne, soon to return to the Vaterland, Doggie Style, Aimie, Lillian, Bottom Feeder and scribe then headed to Meijawu to search out the run site. The friendly folks in Meijawu put on a great welcome for the HZ contingent; people waving at the group in front of almost every restaurant and tea house. However it was then 1.10pm and the Taiping group were not due till about 1.20pm, so the opportunity was taken for a scenic tour of Meijawu right down to Zhijiang Rd. No sign of Taiping H3, so back through the village, where the welcome stayed warm. U turn, back through the village, a royal wave to the crowds, back to Zhejiang Rd, U turn and stalemate 3.0 km back up the road according to the directions to the start. No sign of chalk, hashers, suitable Shanghai buses, indeed anything. The group disembarked, and demonstrated that they had all been in China too long by congregating on the carriageway, rather then the wide and safe footpath, forcing buses, cars and trucks into impassive faced avoidance. Bottom Feeder entertained the troops doing squats with Pelagic on his shoulders, and then auditioned for a role as restaurant road-front spruiker. He starts work on Sunday. So, the deadline hour passed and with no sight, sign or message from Taiping, the collective decision was made to abandon the project and return to the Maya. Mismanagement strikes again.
Shanghai Taiping H3 hits Meijawu
Saturday 13th October – Shanghai Taiping Hash will travel down to Meijawu Tea Village for a run, and the HZH3 is welcome to join them. The run will start approx 1.20pm at Meijawu, so HZH3 hashers should meet at the Maya at 12.15pm to collectively take the Y4 bus to Meijawu. Or you could make your own way there. The cost will be about RMB100 per hasher and this will include the run, drinks and meal.
Run #19 – The “Anyone For Tea” Run
Sunday 7th October – 16.00 – hares Caris and Ernie – Dragon Well Tea House at the end of Longjing Road. Take buses Y3, 27 and K27. The meeting point is the Tea House, from where the pack will be led to the start. If you are lost, Caris’s number is 15824125347. Hash fees are RMB10.00 for the run and a few down down beers after.
Run #18 – The No Surrender Run Rehashed
Hare – PushupbraThe start was at the large set of stairs in Wansongling Rd, off Nanshan Rd.The hare struggled hard with himself to avoid the obvious start up the stairs, where any number of punishments could be found for an unsuspecting pack, but instead opted for a mild and innocuous crossing of the road and an easy jaunt into the forest alongside the Sadsong academy. The diminished pack of Pelagic, Caris, Phonesex and Doggie Style, all refugees from National Day gatherings of family and friends, were not at all intimidated by the name of the “no surrender run
Run #18 – The No Surrender Run
Sunday, September 30th – 16.00 – Wansongling Rd – Hare Pushup(bra)
Wansongling Road starts at Nanshan Rd about 300 metres short of where Nanshan Rd turns right at the junction of Yuhangshan Rd. Go up Wangsongling Rd about 350 metres. The run starts at the big steps (it’ll be obvious). A K102 bus goes past, but from where and to where is not known. Appreciate it if somebody could take their camera on the run and get a few shots for the album. Venue for the On On will probably be the FengDu next to the Maya.
#17 The Lingyin Temple Run Rehashed
Hares – Pelagic and Bottomfeeder
Sunday, with fine misty rain all day, would have kept the hares guessing as to turnout, trailmarking durability, catering and timing, let alone issues of trail. So It followed that Yvonne, Caris, Phone Box, Doggie and scribe were joined by virgins Ernie, Luis and Carlos, other runners apparently dissuaded by the less than conducive weather. Hares Pelagic and Bottom Feeder returned looking a bit crestfallen as to the run they had set, fearing a Far Cup presentation. To head off any later critique of their run marking skills, the hares gave the pack a variety of convoluted descriptions of bamboo, tombs, bridges and numbers, all of which made little sense at the time, and less later as it transpired. The pack is above all that of course, having been recently bloodied by Acronymph and Cigar at Meijiwu, and now fears nothing. The trail followed the footpath up through the HZ Tyrolean quarter, past one of the three temples until it crossed the little stone bridge and ascended the tea terraces opposite. Doggie was taking bets on how many of the pack would go down on the wet and muddy paths, and most enjoyed a complimentary slide or two on the descent. Back on black top and up to Meiling Rd. for a bit of traffic dodging, before entering “Wild Boar